Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2012
Jack Kvancz served as GW's Director of Athletics for 17 years and currently acts as a Special Advisor to the Athletics and Recreation Department. During his tenure, Kvancz oversaw the growth to 22 Division I intercollegiate sports, and was involved in several capital improvements in GW's athletic facilities during his tenure in Foggy Bottom, including the recent renovation of Charles E. Smith Center. Kvancz also oversaw the construction of the Lerner Health & Wellness Center, which opened in August of 2001, and affords students a state-of-the-art recreational facility. He was also instrumental in upgrading the athletic facilities at GW's Mount Vernon campus, which houses a synthetic turf field for soccer and lacrosse, an 11-court tennis complex, a softball diamond and a pool.
Before coming to GW, Kvancz served as Director of Athletics at George Mason University for 12 years, where he planned and developed an academic support unit and five new athletic facilities, including the 10,000-seat Patriot Center. During his tenure in Fairfax, VA, Kvancz also planned and developed an academic support unit and a 64,000-square-foot recreation sports complex in 1983. Kvancz served as president of the Colonial Athletic Association. Prior to his position at GMU, Kvancz was Athletics Director and head men's basketball coach at Catholic University from 1974 to 1982.
A standout guard for the Boston College basketball team, Kvancz was coached by former Boston Celtics star and Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Cousy. Kvancz helped to lead the Eagles to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the finals of the 1967 Eastern Region. In 2003, he was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, and his basketball expertise landed him a position on the prestigious NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee from 1998-2003.
